Classic French Onion Soup

A bowl of French onion soup with melted cheese and thyme garnish.

5 from 11 votes

Classic French Onion Soup

The most EPIC classic french onion soup with a super deep homemade beef broth! Mixed with tons of caramelized onions, aromatics, wine and broiled with gruyere, swiss + sourdough baguette!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Soup

Cuisine: French

Servings:

Author: Lindsey Baruch

Equipment

Ingredients

For The Stock

2 pounds beef marrow bones
1/2 pound stew meat optional
2 celery sticks roughly chopped
4 carrots roughly chopped
1 onions roughly chopped and skin on
½ head garlic cut in half, skin on
2 quarts water
Kosher salt and black pepper

For The Soup

4 tablespoons butter
5 yellow onions or mix of sweet and yellow
2 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
3/4 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups beef broth
salt, sugar and pepper to taste
french baguette & mixture of cheese to top each soup you can use swiss, comte and/or gruyere

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lay on your beef bones and roast with a drizzle of olive oil for 30 minutes. Remove and keep your oven on.
Add your beef bones in a pot with celery, carrots, onions, garlic, stew meat and salt and pepper as well as water. Bring everything to a boil, them a simmer, skimming off the fat. Let the bones and meat cook throughout and create a stock, about 45 minutes. Strain and discard your bones, beef and vegetables and keep your liquid for the soup.
In the meantime, prep your soup ingredients by thinly slicing all your onions. In a bowl, add in your sliced onions and toss with flour. You can alternatively add your flour in before your stock, but I find this way it helps get everything nice and incorporated a bit better, and helps reduce down the flour flavor.
In a dutch oven, melt butter, a drizzle of olive oil and add in your onions to sweat out. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. Caramelize for 5-10 minutes. Then, add garlic, thyme, bay leaf and let caramelize for about 45 minutes until your onions have a deep, golden brown caramelized color. Sometimes I will add some balsamic vinegar, soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce, for added depth of flavor and color, but that's totally up to you!
Add your wine and reduce for 15-20 minutes. Next, add your beef broth. Let the mixture of the flour, reduced wine and broth melt and mix with the soup.
Next, scoop your soup into oven safe bowls, add a slice of bread (you can either pre-toast your bread and then add to let broil with the cheese, or place untoasted in the broiler with the cheese) then a handful of shredded cheese - broil or bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until bubbly, melted and toasted bread. Remove and enjoy!

Nutrition